Security Magazine logo
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
  • MANAGEMENT
  • PHYSICAL
  • CYBER
  • BLOG
  • COLUMNS
  • EXCLUSIVES
  • SECTORS
  • EVENTS
  • MEDIA
  • MORE
  • EMAG
  • SIGN UP!
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • NEWS
  • Security Newswire
  • Technologies & Solutions
  • MANAGEMENT
  • Leadership Management
  • Enterprise Services
  • Security Education & Training
  • Logical Security
  • Security & Business Resilience
  • Profiles in Excellence
  • PHYSICAL
  • Access Management
  • Fire & Life Safety
  • Identity Management
  • Physical Security
  • Video Surveillance
  • Case Studies (Physical)
  • CYBER
  • Cybersecurity News
  • More
  • COLUMNS
  • Cyber Tactics
  • Leadership & Management
  • Security Talk
  • Career Intelligence
  • Leader to Leader
  • Cybersecurity Education & Training
  • EXCLUSIVES
  • Annual Guarding Report
  • Most Influential People in Security
  • The Security Benchmark Report
  • Top Guard and Security Officer Companies
  • Top Cybersecurity Leaders
  • Women in Security
  • SECTORS
  • Arenas / Stadiums / Leagues / Entertainment
  • Banking/Finance/Insurance
  • Construction, Real Estate, Property Management
  • Education: K-12
  • Education: University
  • Government: Federal, State and Local
  • Hospitality & Casinos
  • Hospitals & Medical Centers
  • Infrastructure:Electric,Gas & Water
  • Ports: Sea, Land, & Air
  • Retail/Restaurants/Convenience
  • Transportation/Logistics/Supply Chain/Distribution/ Warehousing
  • EVENTS
  • Industry Events
  • Webinars
  • Solutions by Sector
  • Security 500 Conference
  • MEDIA
  • Videos
  • Podcasts
  • Polls
  • Photo Galleries
  • Videos
  • Cybersecurity & Geopolitical Discussion
  • Ask Me Anything (AMA) Series
  • MORE
  • Call for Entries
  • Classifieds & Job Listings
  • Continuing Education
  • Newsletter
  • Sponsor Insights
  • Store
  • White Papers
  • EMAG
  • eMagazine
  • This Month's Content
  • Advertise
Security Magazine logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Security Magazine logo
  • NEWS
    • Security Newswire
    • Technologies & Solutions
  • MANAGEMENT
    • Leadership Management
    • Enterprise Services
    • Security Education & Training
    • Logical Security
    • Security & Business Resilience
    • Profiles in Excellence
  • PHYSICAL
    • Access Management
    • Fire & Life Safety
    • Identity Management
    • Physical Security
    • Video Surveillance
    • Case Studies (Physical)
  • CYBER
    • Cybersecurity News
    • More
  • BLOG
  • COLUMNS
    • Cyber Tactics
    • Leadership & Management
    • Security Talk
    • Career Intelligence
    • Leader to Leader
    • Cybersecurity Education & Training
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Annual Guarding Report
    • Most Influential People in Security
    • The Security Benchmark Report
    • Top Guard and Security Officer Companies
    • Top Cybersecurity Leaders
    • Women in Security
  • SECTORS
    • Arenas / Stadiums / Leagues / Entertainment
    • Banking/Finance/Insurance
    • Construction, Real Estate, Property Management
    • Education: K-12
    • Education: University
    • Government: Federal, State and Local
    • Hospitality & Casinos
    • Hospitals & Medical Centers
    • Infrastructure:Electric,Gas & Water
    • Ports: Sea, Land, & Air
    • Retail/Restaurants/Convenience
    • Transportation/Logistics/Supply Chain/Distribution/ Warehousing
  • EVENTS
    • Industry Events
    • Webinars
    • Solutions by Sector
    • Security 500 Conference
  • MEDIA
    • Videos
      • Cybersecurity & Geopolitical Discussion
      • Ask Me Anything (AMA) Series
    • Podcasts
    • Polls
    • Photo Galleries
  • MORE
    • Call for Entries
    • Classifieds & Job Listings
    • Continuing Education
    • Newsletter
    • Sponsor Insights
    • Store
    • White Papers
  • EMAG
    • eMagazine
    • This Month's Content
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!
PhysicalSecurity Enterprise ServicesSecurity Leadership and ManagementPhysical Security

Integrated Solutions

Workplace violence prevention: How to formulate a plan

With increased legal protections for employees, employers should make a thorough plan to implement them.

By Ryan Schonfeld
Workplace Violence Prevention Plan

Feodora Chiosea / iStock / Getty Images Plus via Getty Images 

July 8, 2024

Workplace safety remains a critical issue, impacting more than 1 million Americans each year. In response to the challenge that employees face, California enacted S.B. 553 last fall, mandating that employers with more than 10 employees in the state of California develop workplace violence prevention plans, along with other requirements, by July 1, 2024. 

Laws like S.B. 553 are essential tools for safeguarding employees that ensure employers meet legal standards, implement preventive measures and foster a culture where reporting incidents is encouraged without fear of reprisal. While the challenge is in implementation of these laws, they do help establish clear guidelines and requirements, reducing employer liability, enhancing public image and promoting societal values of maintaining a violence-free and harassment-free workplace. Compliance with these regulations creates a secure work environment, boosts employee morale and supports organizational success and social responsibility.

Defining workplace violence

According to S.B. 553, workplace violence includes: 

  • The threat or use of physical force against an employee that results in or is likely to result in injury, psychological trauma or stress. 
  • Incidents involving the threat or use of firearms or other dangerous weapons, including common objects used as weapons. 

Workplace violence can involve employees, employers, customers, clients or visitors and can take various forms, such as verbal abuse, threats, physical assault, property damage or other aggressive behaviors. 

This is a significant concern for both employers and employees because of its impact on individual well-being and the overall workplace environment. Preventive measures often include developing and implementing policies, training programs and security measures to address and mitigate these risks. 


Key provisions of S.B. 553 

The new law requires California employers to create a workplace violence plan that includes: 

  • Methods and protocols: Address unsafe or unhealthy conditions and work practices. 
  • Hazard recognition: Regularly scheduled inspections to quickly identify and rectify unsafe conditions and practices. 
  • Adherence to practices: Systems ensuring employees follow safe and healthy work practices, with disciplinary actions for non-compliance. 
  • Emergency response procedures: Effective procedures for responding to potential or actual workplace violence, including alert protocols, evacuation plans and seeking assistance from security and law enforcement. 
  • Program implementation: Identification of individuals responsible for program implementation. 
  • Training programs: Occupational health and safety training for employees. 
  • Communication system: Establishment of a communication system for occupational health and safety matters, emphasizing the reporting of workplace hazards without fear of reprisal. 
  • Incident logs: Definition of logs recording workplace violence incidents, including details like date, time, location and type of incident. 
  • Post-incident response: Procedures for responding to and investigating incidents. 


How to prepare your business  

As the deadline approaches, organizations that employ California residents must consider several factors: 

  • Leadership: Larger organizations with dedicated security and risk management teams may lead these efforts, while smaller organizations may need external resources, such as consultants, to develop a plan. 
  • Training: Collaboration between security and risk teams, as well as human resources, is critical for defining and implementing training. 
  • Defining the role technology plays: Technology can streamline the gathering of information for post-incident response and investigation, integrating video, access control data, response notes and emergency communication logs to assist law enforcement. 
  • Implement incident and case management: Using technology to gather and present critical information efficiently can help organizations comply with the new laws. 

There are a few steps that can be taken when preparing a workplace violence prevention plan for your company, regardless of whether you have a need to be compliant with the S.B. 553 law. They include, but are not limited to: 

  1. Risk assessment: Conduct a thorough workplace violence risk assessment to identify potential hazards and vulnerable areas, as well as consult employees for insights on potential risks. 
  2. Develop policies: Draft a clear, comprehensive workplace violence prevention policy to ensure the policy includes zero-tolerance statements, then communicate the policy to all employees. 
  3. Establish prevention measures: Implement physical security measures (e.g., consider adding surveillance cameras, establishing controlled access areas, etc) and develop safety protocols for high-risk situations. Additionally, create procedures for reporting and responding to incidents. 
  4. Engage in employee training: Develop and conduct regular training programs on recognizing and responding to workplace violence that include conflict resolution and de-escalation techniques. Train employees on emergency procedures. 
  5. Enact an emergency response plan: Create a detailed emergency response plan that includes evacuation routes, shelter-in-place procedures and communication protocols. As part of this, designate roles and responsibilities for responding to incidents. 
  6. Ensure you have incident reporting and investigation capabilities: Establish a clear incident reporting system and ensure employees can report incidents anonymously if preferred. Develop a procedure for investigating incidents promptly and thoroughly. 
  7. Engage additional support resources: Provide support services for victims of workplace violence (e.g., counseling, legal assistance) and establish a peer support network. 
  8. Regularly review and update planning measures: Schedule regular reviews and updates of the workplace violence prevention plan, incorporating feedback from employees and incident reports. Make sure you update the plan based on changes in the workplace or new risks. 
  9. Develop a communication plan: Develop a communication plan to keep employees informed about safety policies and procedures using multiple channels (e.g., meetings, emails, intranet) to disseminate information. Going further, encourage open communication and feedback. 
  10. Ensure proper documentation and record-keeping: Maintain detailed records of all incidents, reports and investigations; document training sessions, attendance and materials used; and keep logs of safety inspections and maintenance of security systems. 

Prioritizing workplace violence prevention ultimately supports organizational success and the well-being of your employees. While S.B. 553 might currently only apply to California employees, many states are elevating these conversations to protect employees from threats, which means having a plan in place on how to address and prevent incidents of workplace violence should be top of mind for security leaders.

KEYWORDS: regulations regulatory compliance workplace safety workplace violence workplace violence prevention

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Sec 0624 edu slide3 1170x658

Ryan Schonfeld is CEO of HiveWatch.

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
To unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • Security's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024

    Security's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024

    Security magazine's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024 award...
    Security Enterprise Services
    By: Security Staff
  • cyber brain

    The intersection of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence

    Artificial intelligence (AI) is a valuable cybersecurity...
    Cybersecurity
    By: Pam Nigro
  • artificial intelligence AI graphic

    Assessing the pros and cons of AI for cybersecurity

    Artificial intelligence (AI) has significant implications...
    Logical Security
    By: Charles Denyer
Manage My Account
  • Security eNewsletter & Other eNews Alerts
  • eMagazine Subscriptions
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Online Registration
  • Mobile App
  • Subscription Customer Service

Security’s Top 5 – 2024 Year in Review

Security’s Top 5 – 2024 Year in Review

The Money Laundering Machine: Inside the global crime epidemic - Episode 24

The Money Laundering Machine: Inside the global crime epidemic - Episode 24

Middle East Escalation, Humanitarian Law and Disinformation – Episode 25

Middle East Escalation, Humanitarian Law and Disinformation – Episode 25

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Security audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Security or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • Sureview screen
    Sponsored bySureView Systems

    The Evolution of Automation in the Command Center

  • Crisis Response Team
    Sponsored byEverbridge

    Automate or Fall Behind – Crisis Response at the Speed of Risk

  • Perimeter security
    Sponsored byAMAROK

    Why Property Security is the New Competitive Advantage

Popular Stories

Rendered computer with keyboard

16B Login Credentials Exposed in World’s Largest Data Breach

Verizon on phone screen

61M Records Listed for Sale Online, Allegedly Belong to Verizon

Security’s 2025 Women in Security

Security’s 2025 Women in Security

blurry multicolored text on black screen

PowerSchool Education Technology Company Announces Data Breach

Half closed laptop

Sudo Vulnerability Discovered, May Exposes Linux Systems

Events

August 7, 2025

Threats to the Energy Sector: Implications for Corporate and National Security

The energy sector has found itself in the crosshairs of virtually every bad actor on the global stage.

August 27, 2025

Risk Mitigation as a Competitive Edge

In today’s volatile environment, a robust risk management strategy isn’t just a requirement—it’s a foundation for organizational resilience. From cyber threats to climate disruptions, the ability to anticipate, withstand, and adapt to disruption is becoming a hallmark of industry leaders.

View All Submit An Event

Products

Security Culture: A How-to Guide for Improving Security Culture and Dealing with People Risk in Your Organisation

Security Culture: A How-to Guide for Improving Security Culture and Dealing with People Risk in Your Organisation

See More Products

Related Articles

  • Hospital staff walking down hallway

    Utilizing technology to fuel a workplace violence prevention program

    See More
  • SEC0121-Active-Feat-slide1_900px

    Recognize. Respond. Survive. A new approach to workplace violence prevention

    See More
  • Complying with California's Workplace Violence Prevention in Healthcare Rule

    Complying with California's Workplace Violence Prevention in Healthcare Rule

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • school security.jpg

    School Security: How to Build and Strengthen a School Safety Program

  • security culture.webp

    Security Culture: A How-to Guide for Improving Security Culture and Dealing with People Risk in Your Organisation

  • physical security.webp

    Physical Security Assessment Handbook An Insider’s Guide to Securing a Business

See More Products
×

Sign-up to receive top management & result-driven techniques in the industry.

Join over 20,000+ industry leaders who receive our premium content.

SIGN UP TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing

Security Magazine logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Security Magazine logo
  • NEWS
    • Security Newswire
    • Technologies & Solutions
  • MANAGEMENT
    • Leadership Management
    • Enterprise Services
    • Security Education & Training
    • Logical Security
    • Security & Business Resilience
    • Profiles in Excellence
  • PHYSICAL
    • Access Management
    • Fire & Life Safety
    • Identity Management
    • Physical Security
    • Video Surveillance
    • Case Studies (Physical)
  • CYBER
    • Cybersecurity News
    • More
  • BLOG
  • COLUMNS
    • Cyber Tactics
    • Leadership & Management
    • Security Talk
    • Career Intelligence
    • Leader to Leader
    • Cybersecurity Education & Training
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Annual Guarding Report
    • Most Influential People in Security
    • The Security Benchmark Report
    • Top Guard and Security Officer Companies
    • Top Cybersecurity Leaders
    • Women in Security
  • SECTORS
    • Arenas / Stadiums / Leagues / Entertainment
    • Banking/Finance/Insurance
    • Construction, Real Estate, Property Management
    • Education: K-12
    • Education: University
    • Government: Federal, State and Local
    • Hospitality & Casinos
    • Hospitals & Medical Centers
    • Infrastructure:Electric,Gas & Water
    • Ports: Sea, Land, & Air
    • Retail/Restaurants/Convenience
    • Transportation/Logistics/Supply Chain/Distribution/ Warehousing
  • EVENTS
    • Industry Events
    • Webinars
    • Solutions by Sector
    • Security 500 Conference
  • MEDIA
    • Videos
      • Cybersecurity & Geopolitical Discussion
      • Ask Me Anything (AMA) Series
    • Podcasts
    • Polls
    • Photo Galleries
  • MORE
    • Call for Entries
    • Classifieds & Job Listings
    • Continuing Education
    • Newsletter
    • Sponsor Insights
    • Store
    • White Papers
  • EMAG
    • eMagazine
    • This Month's Content
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!